Escorts Mutual Fund

Escorts Mutual Fund is a mutual fund which is offered by Escorts Investments Trust Ltd. The investments are managed by Escorts Asset Management Limited. The trust was established according to the Deed of Trust dated 15 April 1996. It was registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India on 3 July 1996. A variety of mutual fund schemes are offered by the company in correspondence to the needs of the vast investor base.

Types of Funds, Bonds, and Plans Offered by Escorts Investments Trust Ltd.

The Escorts Investments Trust Ltd. offers 13 different plans and funds in total. They are as follows:

1. Escorts Growth Plan
2. Escorts High Yield Equity Plan
3. Escorts Leading Sectors Fund
4. Escorts Power and Energy Fund
5. Escorts Infrastructure Fund
6. Escorts Income Plan
7. Escorts Income Bond
8. Escorts Balanced Fund
9. Escorts Opportunities Fund
10. Escorts Liquid Plan
11. Escorts Short Term Debt Fund
12. Escorts Gilt Plan
13. Escorts Tax Plan

The features of the Funds, Bonds, and Plans are discussed below:

1. Escorts Growth Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Growth Scheme
Date of Allotment	March 2001
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	Nifty
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Growth Plan

The main objective of the Escorts Growth Plan is to generate Capital Appreciation. This is done through investments made in a diversified portfolio of Equity Share which have the potential to grow. This income might be accompanied by dividends and other possible income.

Who is the Escorts Growth Plan for?

The Escorts Growth Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who have the goal of generating long-term capital appreciation and current income through investments made in equity and other instruments related to equity.

2. Escorts High Yield Equity Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Growth Scheme
Date of Allotment	December 2006
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	CNX 100
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts High Yield Equity Plan

The main objective of the Escorts High Yield Equity Plan is to invest in a diversified portfolio of equity stocks that are capable of yielding high dividends. Not just that, it is also checked that the investment yields long term capital appreciation as per opportunity.

Who is the Escorts High Yield Equity Plan for?

The Escorts High Yield Equity Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who have the goal of generating income and long-term capital appreciation through investments made in equity and other instruments related to equity, that offer high dividend yields.

3. Escorts Leading Sectors Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Growth Scheme
Date of Allotment	August 2008
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	S&P CNX Nifty
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective the of Leading Sectors Fund

The main objective of the Leading Sectors Fund is to invest in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities that are capable of generating long-term capital appreciation and current income.

Who is the Leading Sectors Fund for?

The Leading Sectors Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who have the goal of generating income and long-term capital appreciation through investments made in equity and other instruments related to equity, in companies from the leading sectors. These companies grow at a rate which is higher than the usual GDP of the economy.

4. Escorts Power and Energy Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Growth Scheme
Date of Allotment	September 2008
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	BSE Power Index
Fund Manager	Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Power and Energy Fund

The main objective of the Escorts Power and Energy Fund is to generate medium to long-term capital gains and/or provide income distribution through investments made in equity or instruments related to equity of the companies belonging to the Power/Energy Sector and/or Debt/Money Market Instruments.

Who is the Escorts Power and Energy Fund for?

The Escorts Power and Energy Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for a provision of distribution of capital and generating medium to long term capital gains. These goals are targeted through investments made in equity and/or instruments related to equity, in the companies belonging to the Power/Energy sector and/or Debt/Money Market Instruments.

5. Escorts Infrastructure Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Equity Scheme
Date of Allotment	September 2007
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	S&P CNX Nifty
Fund Manager	Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Infrastructure Fund

The primary objective of the Escorts Infrastructure Fund is to offer income distribution and/or medium or long term capital gains. This objective is backed by investments predominantly made in equity or instruments related to equity of the companies in the infrastructure sector.

Who is the Escorts Infrastructure Fund for?

The Escorts Infrastructure Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who are seeking income distribution along with medium to long term capital gains. This is done through investments made in equity and instruments related to equity of companies that belong to the infrastructure sector.

6. Escorts Income Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Income Scheme
Date of Allotment	June 1998
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Bond Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderate

Investment Objective of the Escorts Income Plan

The main objective of the Escorts Income Plan is the generation of current income through investments predominantly made in Fixed Income Securities and Money Market Instruments that are quite diverse and the risk levels are moderate. This income can be possibly accompanied by Capital Appreciation.

Who is the Escorts Income Plan for?

The Escorts Income Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of current income through investments made in Fixed Income Securities and instruments related to the money market.

7. Escorts Income Bond

Fund Type	Open-ended Income Scheme
Date of Allotment	November 1996
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Composite Bond Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Income Bond

The main objective of the Escorts Income Bond is the generation of current income through investments predominantly made in Fixed Income Securities that are quite diverse and the risk levels are moderate. This income can be possibly accompanied by Capital Appreciation.

Who is the Escorts Income Bond for?

The Escorts Income Bond is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of current income through investments made in Fixed Income Securities and instruments related to the money market.

8. Escorts Balanced Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Balanced Scheme
Date of Allotment	March 2001
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Balanced Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Balanced Fund

The main objective of the Escorts Balanced Fund is the generation of an open-ended scheme that has the investment objective of generating long-term capital appreciation and current income through investments predominantly made in a portfolio of equity and Fixed Income Securities.

Who is the Escorts Balanced Fund for?

The Escorts Balanced Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of long-term capital appreciation and current income through investments made in equity and instruments related to equity, Fixed Income Securities, instruments related to the money market, cash, and cash equivalents.

9. Escorts Opportunities Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Growth Scheme
Date of Allotment	March 1998
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	In case of redemption within 365 days - 1%
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Balanced Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Opportunities Fund

The primary objective of the Escorts Opportunities Fund is the generation of long-term capital appreciation by predominant movement of investments in a portfolio of equity and securities that are related to equity. This movement is made among different sectors including technology sector, communications sector, entertainment sector, media sector, pharmaceuticals sector, FMCG sector, real estate sector, cyber city sector, cyclical sector, etc., depending on the expectation of its high earning capability. This income might be accompanied by other income and possible dividends as well.

Who is the Escorts Opportunities Fund for?

The Escorts Opportunities Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of long-term capital appreciation and current income through investments made in equity and instruments related to equity, Fixed Income Securities, instruments related to the money market, cash, and cash equivalents.

10. Escorts Liquid Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Liquid Scheme
Date of Allotment	October 2005
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	Nil
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Liquid Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre
Risk Factor	Low

Investment Objective of the Escorts Liquid Plan

The main objective of the Escorts Liquid Plan is to provide income and liquidity which is consistent with the risk of investment. The provision of income and liquidity is obtained from a portfolio of money, instruments of debt, and market. The income might be complemented by possible capital appreciation. Optimising the returns while providing liquidity is the main aim of the plan.

Who is the Escorts Liquid Plan for?

The Escorts Liquid Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who are seeking for the provision of income and liquidity through investments made in money market instruments.

11. Escorts Short Term Debt Fund

Fund Type	Open-ended Income Scheme
Date of Allotment	December 2005
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	Nil
Benchmark Index	CRISIL Liquid Fund Index
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre
Risk Factor	Low

Investment Objective of the Escorts Short Term Debt Fund

The primary objective of the Escorts Short Term Debt Fund is the generation of regular income through an investment portfolio that consists of Floating Rate Debt Securities. In this case, the Floating Rate Debt Securities comprises of Money Market Instruments, floating rate securitised debt, and Fixed Rate Debt Instruments which are swapped for floating rate returns. The product will also invest in Fixed Rate Debt Securities that include Floating Rate Debt Securities comprises of Money Market Instruments, fixed rate securitised debt, and Floating Rate Debt Instruments which are swapped for fixed rate returns.

Who is the Escorts Short Term Debt Fund for?

The Escorts Short Term Debt Fund is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of regular income through investments made in floating rate debt securities which comprises of Money Market Instruments, floating rate securitised debt, and Fixed Rate Debt Instrument for floating rate returns.

12. Escorts Gilt Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Income Scheme
Date of Allotment	April 2001
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	Nil
Benchmark Index	I-Sec Mi BEX
Fund Manager	Debt - Gaurav Balre
Risk Factor	Moderately Low

Investment Objective of the Escorts Gilt Plan

The primary objective of the Escorts Gilt Plan is the generation of income and capital appreciation through an investment portfolio that consists of Government securities market. The main aim of the Escorts Gilt Plan is the generation of returns through investments made in securities which are created and issued by the Central Government and/or a state government, which is equivalent to the minimal credit risk.

Who is the Escorts Gilt Plan for?

The Escorts Gilt Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of income and long term capital appreciation through investments made in government securities (both Central Government and state governments).

13. Escorts Tax Plan

Fund Type	Open-ended Equity Linked Savings Scheme
Date of Allotment	March 2000
Entry Load	N/A
Exit Load	3 Year Lock-in
Benchmark Index	Nifty
Fund Manager	Equity - Sanjeev Sharma Equity - Shamil Mehra
Risk Factor	Moderately High

Investment Objective of the Escorts Tax Plan

The investment objective of the Escorts Tax Plan is the generation of capital appreciation through an investment portfolio that consists of diverse equity shares that have growth potential. The income might also be accompanied by possible dividends and other incomes.

Who is the Escorts Tax Plan for?

The Escorts Tax Plan is a product which is suitable for the investors who are looking for the generation of long term capital appreciation through investments made in equity and instruments related to equity.

Save Tax by Investing in Tax Savings Mutual Funds from Escorts Investments Trust Ltd.

Section 80C under the Income Tax Act, 1961, allows an individual to avail tax deductions to the extent of Rs.1.5 lakh. Under the section, tax benefits can also be claimed for investments made in mutual funds. An individual can invest in the Escorts Tax Plan offered by Escorts Investments Trust Ltd. and avail the tax benefits under Section 80C.

Who is Eligible for Escorts Mutual Funds?

An individual will be eligible to invest in Escorts Mutual Funds if he/she falls under any one of the following categories:

• Resident Individuals
• NRIs
• Partnership firms
• Companies
• Trusts
• Banking Companies
• Hindu Undivided Families (HUF)
• Pension Funds
• Insurance Companies
• Public Financial Institutions
• FIIs
• Parents or lawful guardians on behalf of minors

Documents Required for Escorts Mutual Funds

You are required to provide the following documents in order to invest in Escorts Mutual Funds:

• Application forms: 3 application forms are required to be duly filled up, signed, and submitted. 1 form to open an MF account, 1 form to choose a SIP, and 1 form to transfer funds electronically from your bank account.
• KYC documents: The individual who is investing is required to submit a KYC individual form and a passport-sized photograph of himself/herself.
• Identity proof: A Photo Identity proof such as PAN Card, Voter’s ID, Aadhaar Card, Driving License, or Passport is to be provided as a proof of identity of the individual.
• Address proof: Any one of Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, Voter’s ID, Passport, Driving License, or utility bills like gas bill, electricity bill, or telephone bill, insurance copy, bank account statement, passbook, registered sale/lease agreement of residence, or flat maintenance bill, can be provided as an address proof.
• Third-party declaration: A third-party declaration form is required to be filled up, signed, and submitted, in case the investment is being made on behalf of a minor.

How to invest in Escorts Mutual Funds?

An individual can invest in Escorts Mutual Funds by following a few simple steps. The first and foremost step that an individual is required to take is to get his/her KYC done. For the purpose of KYC, the individual needs to have his PAN card. The Permanent Account Number or PAN will be used for identification and enrollment. Other necessary details like name, date of birth, contact number, email ID, and Aadhaar number will also be required for registration. The individual can visit the official website of Escorts Mutual Funds at www.escortsmutual.com. On the top right corner of the home page, the toolbar has the ‘Downloads’ menu. On clicking the ‘Downloads’ menu, the user will be redirected to a new web page which has a list of downloads which are available on the website. The options under the ‘Downloads’ tab are as follows:

• Common Application Form
• FATCA & CRS Form - Individual
• SIP Auto Debit ECS/NACH Form
• UBO Declaration Form - Non-Individual
• Systematic Transfer Plan (STP) Enrollment Form
• FATCA & CRS Form - Non-Individual
• Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) Enrollment Form

All the necessary forms can be downloaded from this section of the website and duly filled up, signed, and submitted by an individual who is making the investment.

On the other hand, an individual may also visit the nearest branch office of Escorts Investments Trust Ltd. and consult with their representatives to buy Escorts Mutual Funds.

Why Choose Escorts Mutual Fund?

The Escorts Asset Management Ltd. is considered to be one of the most preferred and trusted Asset Management Companies (AMCs) in India. It offers high reliability and also offers a plethora of different types of funds which will suit the needs of every type of investor. The vision and mission of Escorts Asset Management Ltd. are to stick to their strategic values, to be customer centric, and bring about excellence, agility, and innovation in their functions. The company is highly recognised and awarded with prestigious awards like the Fund Awards in 2014 and the like. The company was also awarded the Lipper Fund Award in 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Gilt Fund?

The mutual funds in which the funds are exclusively invested in government securities are called Gilt Funds. There is no risk of default in government securities. Just like the income oriented schemes and debt oriented schemes, the Net Asset Values (NAVs) of Gilt Funds also fluctuate. This fluctuation is caused by the changes in rates of interest and other factors pertaining to the economy.

2. What are Tax Saving Schemes?

The mutual fund schemes that offer the facility of tax deductions on the investment made on the funds are called tax saving schemes. As per the provisions of Section 80C under the Income Tax Act, 1961, tax rebates are offered for an investment made in certain avenues such as Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS). These schemes are known as Tax Saving Schemes.

3. Can a nominee be appointed by an investor for his investment in units of a mutual fund?

Yes. An individual who is holding units or applying for new units can appoint a nominee on their behalf. However, non-individuals such as society, body corporate, trust, Karta of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), holder of Power of Attorney, partnership firm, etc. cannot nominate.

4. What happens to the money that has been invested in a mutual fund after the fund is wound up?

In case a scheme is wound up, a sum is paid on the basis of the prevailing Net Asset Value (NAV) after making necessary adjustment of expenses. A report is also published for the unitholders which contain all the necessary details pertaining to the winding up of the scheme.

5. How can investors lodge a complaint or query?

In case of any questions, queries, or grievances, an investor can get in touch with the contact person who is mentioned in the offer document of the mutual fund scheme. The activities of a mutual fund are monitored by the trustees of the mutual fund. The name of the directors of the asset management company and trustees are mentioned in the offer documents. An investor can file their complaints or queries with the concerned Mutual Fund/Investor Service Centre of the mutual fund. In case the complaint is not resolved, the investor can also choose to escalate the issue to SEBI for the resolution.

6. Is KYC compulsory?

Yes. KYC is compulsory. Earlier it was compulsory for investors to comply with KYC only if their investment was Rs.50,000 or more. However, with effect from 1 January 2011, KYC compliance has been made compulsory for all groups of investors disregarding the amount of investment they make.

7. Is an individual required to renew their KYC after a particular period of time?

No. The KYC compliance is a one-time formality. Once the KYC of an individual is acknowledged, it will be registered against the folio of the individual and this folio will be used for all future statements.

8. Can an investor make an investment in Escorts Mutual Funds online?

No. As on 1 July 2018, Escorts Mutual Funds do not offer the option of investing in their mutual funds online. However, the work is in progress on their website and will be up and running soon.

GST rate of 18% applicable for all financial services effective July 1, 2017.